JEFFERSON — If you want to know anything about Ashtabula County’s 17 covered bridges and historic tidbits, just ask Betty Morrison, director of the Covered Bridge Festival.

This weekend, the 25th festival will unfold at the county fairgrounds in Jefferson and at the sites of the 17 bridges including the newest, Smolen-Gulf Bridge in Plymouth and Ashtabula Townships.

“When we started 25 years ago it was just a committee to start up interest in our restored and historical bridges. I wrote the first grant when I was in the county Planning Commission department. In 1983 we decided to dedicate the State Road Bridge across Conneaut Creek, not to be confused with new bridge we just dedicated Aug. 26,” Morrison said.

This weekend activities will be buzzing at the fairgrounds and at each of the bridge sites around the county. Visitors can not only view the bridges in two separate drive-it-yourself tours, but also enjoy the fall foliage of the county’s countryside, said Morrison. A shuttle bus for a small fee will transport visitors from the fairgrounds to the Smolen-Gulf Bridge, the longest covered bridge in the United States.

Morrison recounts how the inspiration for the longest covered bridge began with retired county engineer John Smolen and his staff in 1995. The reasoning behind the old bridge replacement across the Ashtabula River gulf was to improve road alignment and update a deficient bridge.

Federal dollars amounting to $5 million were received in 2000. The next five years plans and specification were done for the design. Numerous environmental studies and wetland mitigation followed with permits granted by Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corp. of Engineer. Bridge general contractor was Union Industrial Contractors Inc. of Ashtabula, giving jobs to local workers. Earth work was done by Koski Construction Co. of Ashtabula.

The star of all the county’s 17 bridges stands out. It is a Pratt Truss construction design at 613 feet long and stands 93 feet above the Ashtabula River. It was opened to the public just this past week, according to Morrison.

For those driving the bridge tours, it is divided in two parts with each totaling abut 65 miles. Tour A takes in the bridges in the northern part of the county: Netcher Road, South Denmark Road; Caine Road, Graham Road, Root Road, Middle Road, State Road, Creek Road, Benetka Road, Olin Road, Giddings Road and the newest Smolen-Gulf Bridge. Tour B consists of the following southern county bridges: Doyle Road, Harpersfield Road, Mechanicsville Road, Riverdale Road, and Windsor Mills, just south off Route 322.

The festival on Saturday and Sunday will have everything from a Scarecrow Contest to a quilt show to displays of antique engines and cars, children’s activities, lots of area crafters and artisans selling their creations, and plenty of good food. The Ashtabula Kiwanians will serve a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days in the 4-H Expo Center on the fairgrounds. Jefferson Rotarians will have their famous bean soup served both days for festival goers. Commercial food vendors will feature bison burgers, typical fair foods from corn dogs to ice cream floats to Polish food, funnel cakes, to barbecue ribs.

Jungle Terry and the Moo Train rides along with a petting zoon will be youth attractions at the fairgrounds. There will be tour maps available for the bridge visitors, souvenirs and other items for sale all centered on the county’s heritage bridges.

Admission to the grounds if $4 for adults and free for children 12 and under, Morrison said.

“We make our operating money from the admission tickets and the souvenirs. At each of the bridge sites, committees and folks living near the bridges set up special activities. It’s a way for non-profit organizations at the fairgrounds and bridges to make money. We cover these groups with advertising and insurance,” Morrison said.

“The bridges here are part of our past and people connect to the nostalgia of the old bridges. They are constructed of wood and while restored, there is this important link to our pioneer past,” Morrison said.

“I like to tell our tour visitors that probably these bridges were used for courting purposes. Many of the wooden structures have couples’ names written on trusses and walls. We’ve done the bridge bus tours from spring to early November for the past 22 years and widened our marketing efforts,” Morrison said.

Entertainment for this weekend will feature the Cedar Creek Band on Saturday and the Hastily Assembled Blue Grass Band on Sunday. On Sunday lay preacher Dan Schall will lead a 9 a.m. worship service at the fairgrounds. An optional service will be held at 9 a.m. by the Smolen-Gulf Bridge in the Indian Trails Park with the Rev. Lois Burke of Monroe United Methodist Church and the Rev. Johnnie Swann of Plymouth UMC.